Timer



F. CA HERSEE.

TIMER.

APPLICATION F|LED DEc.7,1915.

RENEWED MAR. 17,1920` Patented Apr. 27, 19270.

FREDERICK C. HERSE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TIMER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

Application led December 7, 1915, Serial No. 65,604. Renewed March 1'7, 1920. Serial No. 366,674.

fo-all whom z'tmay concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK C. Hnnsnn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, county of Suffolk, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Timers, of which the foli lowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts in each of the several views.

This invention relates to timers for internal combustion engines of the type wherein a rotating contact comes into wiping engagement with a series of relatively fixed contacts spaced around the orbit of its path of -movement and controlling the ignition in the respective cylinders. A prime object of the invention is to provide a timer of this character having the series of fixed contacts variably spaced with reference to the path of movement of the movable contact member whereby different portions of said contact member are engaged by the different ones of the several fixed contacts, and preferably in combination therewith an improved form of movable contact member that is automatically shiftable by wiping engagement with the fixed contacts so as to present a fresh contacting surface at each engagement with the several fixed contacts, along with sufficient friction action against the cooperating contact to make the electrical connection reliable. To this end l preferably form the movable contact member as a somewhat elongated roller mounted to revolve on a shaft and successively engaging a series of fixed contacts mounted so as to engage said roller at different points along the length thereof. A further object is to provide an improved construction of timer wherein thc external connections for all of the fixed contacts are located on the upper segment of the shell or housing so as to be conveniently reached. A further object is to provide a construction wherein the movable contact element is of a simple inexpensive form that may be easily removed and replaced or renewed. A further object is to provide a timer shell or housing, bearing relatively fixed contacts and a movable contact clement to cooperate therewith, with provision for centering said shell, and the contacts carried thereby with reference to the rotatable contact when said movable contact is applied to a driving shaft prefixed in place. A further object is to provide an improved form of handle member for shifting the timer shell wherein said Vmember is internally reinforced so that it with the accompanying drawings and willl he thereafter pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l shows in side elevation a timer constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof;

g. 3 is a lengthwlse vertical action;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the timer shell with a. portion thereof in section and with thc rotatable contact and shaft removed.

The timer shell which may be molded of fiber. or other suitable material is indicated at 10 with a short cylindrical portion merging into a conical portion 11 and terminating in a reduced cylindrical cap portion l2. rlhis shell is provided with an upstanding handle projection 13 which may be formed integral therewith and provided with a passage 14 to receive a pin or bolt for connection to an operating rod for shifting the timer shell angularly to advance or retard the spark. In accordance with one feature of my invention this handle portion is reinforced by embedding therein a metallic strap member 15, the end portions of which extend inward with" the extremities 16 bent laterally, while the intermediate portion is bent to circular form as indicated at 17 to constitute a bearing and wear member for the passage 14. The fixed contacts are illustratively shown as four in number, each. consisting in a ball 18 held at the inner end of a short metallic tube 19 which is externally threaded and. fitted radially through the shell, the inner extremity of this tube being inturned to provide a proper holding seat for the ball 18 while permitting said ball to project therefrom. The several halls 18 are yieldingly pressed inward hy a headed follower 2t) pressed hy a eoil spring 21 housed in the tuhe lt) and reacting against the end oi' a ei p 22 threaded on the outer portion of the tuhe lil and adapted to he set up against a metallic loel\r washer 2li threaded on the tuhe and adapted to he set up against, the shell. For receiving the external eleetrical eonneetions the caps 2 of the two upper eontaets are equipped with outwardly pro- `ieeting threaded stems 2-l to eonstitute hinding posts. In aeeordanee with my invention` means is provided wherehy the external eonneetions or hinding posts of the two lower eontaets are also loeated onthe upper portion of the timer. l"or thisl purpose metallic strap eonneetions are provided having eyes 26 at their lower ends engaging around the tuhes lf) and other eyes 2T at their upper ends engaging around hinding posts 2S fitted in the upper half portion of the shell adjaeent the upper pair of eontaets and equipped with loel( nuts 29. lreferahl.' and as shown these strap eonneetiens 25 are emhedded in the fiher of the shell and do not projeet therefrom so as to he exposed at any point. 'I`hus all of the eontaet eonneetions may he made from the upper lalf of the timer and the hinding posts reaehed mueh more eonvenientlv for making the. eonneetions.

"l`he operating shaft. whieh may he the eau: shaft of the standard Ford type of automohile is indieated at if), with a redueed end portion Sil on whieh is fitted a sleeve 1&2 'termed with a radial arm having hearings lili in whieh are mounted a somewhatelongated roller 554. the axis of whieh is parallel to the shaft; In. ["or seeuring the sleeve 32 to thel shaft t) a eotter pin 9,5 may he fitted in a radial hore of the shaft ii() with a hent portion Zt) thereof extending along a key way 3T in the sleevi,- 3&2. in aoeordanee with my invention the .several fixed eontaets 18 are mounted on the timer shell so as to he in spaced apart relation endwise of the roller --f, 1'. e., so that eaeh hall 18 will engage the roller 2&4 at a differ ent point along the length thereof. Thus as seen in Fig. l the (rap 22 whieh eoperates with one of the lower hall eontaets li is po sitioned some little outward or to the right of the eap 22" which eoperates with one o fv the upper halls 18. lt will he understood that the, ar tieular relative. endwise posi tioning of theseveral halls 1S is not material so long as egi'eh of them is mounted so as to engage the roll 34 at a different point along its length so that any particular portion of the length of said roll will only reeeive the wear from eontaet with one of the halls 1S. rl`hus the durahility of' the eontaets and henee ofthe tinier is greatly inereased it being of course understood that the several halls 1S are constantly being shifted and turned so as to present fresh eontaet portions to the roll 34 while the roll 34- is also eaused to turn at each eontaet so as to present a fresh peripheral portion at each eontaeting engagement with any given fixed eontaet, as well as presenting different endwise portions to the successive fixed contacts. It will also he noted that the roll 34-is a simple inexpensive element and easily removed for renewal or cleaning it having for this purpose an endwise removable axis pin 34, Eor holding the sleeve 32 in place a nut is threaded on the extremity of the shaft to set up against said sleeve, this nut heing equipped with an outward eylindrieal extension 39 which fits a hearing in the eylindrifal extension l2 of the timer shell, said shell extension heing also suitably equipped with an oil passage 40. By the provision of this extension 39 it is insured that the timer shell 10 and thel fixed contacts will he properly centered when the timer is applied to a driving shaft 3() pre-fixed in place as is the ease with the eam shaft of n. Ford machine. .l am aware that the invention can he emhodied in other speeifie forms without departing from the essential attrihutes thereof and l therefore desire the present einhodiment to be considered as illustrative and not restrietive reference heing had to the appended elaims rather than to the foregoing deseription to indieate the seope of the invention.

Having deserihed my invention, ywhat I elaim as new and desire to seeure hy Letters Patent is:

l. A timer` eomprising relatively fixed eontaets spaeed apart eirelnn'f'erentially and also along thel axis of the timer, and a revoluhle eontaet to eooperate therewith having a shaft mounting, said revoluhle eontaet eonsisting in a shiftahle memher extending in the same general direetion as the shaft and of a length sufficient to engage. all of said fixed eontaets s s it revolves 2. A timer7 eon'iprising relatively fixed eontaets spaced apart eireumlerentially and also endwise of the timer`r and a revoluhle eontaet to -eoperate therewith having a shaft mounting. said revoluhle eontaet eon sisting in a roller fitted to turn on an axis extending in the same general direetion as said shaft and of a length to engage. all of said fixed eontaets wherehy it is turned at eaeh engagenient with a fixed eontaet to present' a fresh eontaet portion.

Si. A timer, eomprising a housing hearing a series of spared apart fixed eontaefs and formed with a redueed hearingextension at the outer end thereof. a sha ft extending info said housing hearing a inovahle eontaet. and a nut engaging the end of said shaft lo hold said nlovahle eont'aet in plaee. said nul having an extending e \'lindrieal portion fittingr Said bearing extension in said housing; ce tending theieafong, and am zleimediae hold said housing cemraiy ahmed Wifh Tcspec, to said shaft.

Ll. A cinici', comprising a housing formed of fiber 01' the like bearing :i relatively fixed Contact and laying u. projecting :mi-1n formed therewith, a metallic reinforce stip embedded in said Mm with end porticns e2;-

pcitioii crmed o constitute a bearing for an ope'aiug device engageable with Said mim to zhift the housing anguiarly.

ln terf'imony whereof I have signed my name fao this Specification.

L FREDERICK C. HERSEE. 

